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by rabdizzle



Category: Vingt mille lieues sous les mers | Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea - Jules Verne
Genre: Comfort, Fluff, M/M, i'm love them so much
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-12 02:14:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28502814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rabdizzle/pseuds/rabdizzle
Summary: Conseil longs for Paris. The harpooner tries to cheer him up.
Relationships: Conseil & Ned Land, Conseil/Ned Land
Comments: 1
Kudos: 8





	Home.

**Author's Note:**

> This is for @auredosa for the 20K Leagues Gift Exchange on Tumblr! The "something fluffy with Conseil" prompt really stood out to me and I love Conseil so I had to choose that one. Hope you enjoy!

Conseil was fond of a great many things. The cool sea breeze that drifted throughout the Parisian docks at sunrise, avidly studying new specimens freshly taken from the shore, and discussions about advancements made in deep sea diving were just some of the few things that made the marine apprentice smile. What he was not fond of, however, was being locked in a dank room in a scientifically impossible sea-ship with no knowledge whatsoever of the time of day, save for the few alien meals shoved under the brass door. In fact, one could say Conseil strongly disliked being in such a situation. But then again, that conclusion could be easily drawn from the way he cowered in a dimly lit corner of his cabin and silently prayed under his breath for some sort of salvation from whatever it was he, the harpooner, and the Professor stumbled on to. He sighed quietly. 

Though he was a man of many feats and talents, Conseil's fatal flaw only presented itself at the most inopportune moments—such as when he journeyed abroad with the Professor. He longed for his home; for the wistful Parisian sunsets that delighted him ever since he was a lad. For the mahogany bookshelves that he spent hours upon hours scanning in his apartment. Isolation presented itself to Conseil as an old friend, and he had no choice but to indulge in its company.

However, someone who was afflicted with a much different condition was his bunkmate, the harpooner, who had descended into furious indignation after being restrained to his cabin by Nemo and his compatriots. He thrashed and stamped mercilessly, cursing the Nautilus and its crew in language much too colourful for Conseil to bear. "We're prisoners, you know that?! Chained against our will— _If I ever see Nemo again, you be sure I'm going to give him a piece of my mind! _"__

__Conseil, however, wasn't listening to the Canadian's cries. He peered out of the small window next to his bed and stared at the waves of blue that trapped him upon the Nautilus._ _

__Conseil didn't mind staying on the ship, studying the ocean fauna with his beloved Aronnax and discussing their adventures with Ned Land, but sometimes the melancholia of seclusion from known civilisation took a heavy toll on him. He really did miss Paris. How the city dazzled in the sunset. How the people greeted each other so fondly, and how he used to breathe in the night air knowing that the next day would be as comfortable as the last._ _

__"I'll kill him, I swear—" An unintentionally loud sigh wrought with heartache stopped Ned's rambling short. He tilted his blond head slightly, realising his bunkmate wasn't entirely paying attention to him and was, in fact, in what seemed to be in a pensive trance. He frowned and let a quiet moment pass before he spoke once again, however this time more softly. "Hey... Are you alright?"_ _

__Conseil looked groggily behind him, and it immediately occurred to harpooner that shouting at the top of his lungs about the injustices done unto him was probably not the best thing for his preoccupied friend. He moved forward, lowering his voice. "What's the matter, friend Conseil?"_ _

__The blindingly white electric light of the room compared to the vastness of the sea he was fixating on flickered and seared into Conseil's brain. He craned his head to look towards the floor. "It... It's nothing, friend Ned."_ _

__"Homesickness?"_ _

__Land was met with a very sudden and confused look from his bunkmate._ _

__"... How did you know?"_ _

__"Oh, _come on _," he said, smiling a good-hearted smile that reached all the way to his eyes, promising warmth and comfort. "My good friend, you do not think I didn't see you gazing wistfully at the sunset when we first set sail on the Lincoln?"___ _

____A forlorn expression spread over Conseil's features, pushing his eyebrows down solemnly._ _ _ _

____"Come here, I'd like to tell you something," The Canadian said, beckoning him over to his side of the cabin._ _ _ _

____The marine apprentice pushed himself away from the pole he leaned against and sunk his shoulders down, casting a downtrodden glance at the floor._ _ _ _

____"Come on now, sit with me."_ _ _ _

____Conseil did just that. Scepticism passed through his mind when the harpooner cleared his throat with the presumable intent of going on another tirade. But instead of starting at the top of his lungs, Land's voice took on a mellow and warm tone as he met Conseil's eyes._ _ _ _

____"You know, when I was a lad," he began, adopting the air of a wise old sage rather than a hot-headed harpooner. "When I was sent on my first voyage out on the ocean—before I became the master harpooner, _hunter of mysterious narwhals as you now know me _—" This comment earned a sentimental chuckle from the marine apprentice. "—My feelings were quite the same. I couldn't help thinking of home and the people who awaited me there. I spent sleepless nights thinking of my father and my mother, and how they must have been without me. I couldn't even enjoy the sea air, and you and I both know the sea air is one of life's luxuries, eh?"___ _ _ _

______The corner of Conseil's mouth fluttered upwards, following by the other as Land patted him playfully on the shoulder._ _ _ _ _ _

______"Anyway, I was in a real rot. Until one day a fellow sailor caught me moping around the deck, all sad-like. He took a liking to me, see? He asked me what was on my mind that day and I shrugged my shoulders like you yourself had just done and told him I was missing home. Then he asked me something really quite strange," Ned paused, rubbing his nose with the back of his hand._ _ _ _ _ _

______Conseil, with his interest now piqued, burst out like a child. "What did he ask you, friend Ned?"_ _ _ _ _ _

______The harpooner glanced at his companion and tried to conceal a wry smile. "He asked me... What I took home to _be _."___ _ _ _ _ _

________"To _be _?"___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________"Yes," the Canadian replied. "And in my ignorance I replied that it was where my parents were, back in Canada. Well... After that he looked at me for a long time—stared right into the windows of my soul—and shook his head. Then he said something I shall never forget, friend Conseil."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________"What was that?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Land turned to face his companion and suddenly Conseil found himself in the position the harpooner had described himself to be all those years ago. His interlocutor's eyes were transfixed on his and the whirring of the ship seemed to cease for one small moment. "He said that home was not a place at all, but rather the experiences we have along the way. That home wasn't where we were born, but the people we encountered—those we were fond of—and the memories we unknowingly create with them. Home is the drunken shanties one sings with fellow sailors in a rowdy tavern—the comfortable silence in which one sits with a partner next to a wood-burning stove. Home... Is something one can return to in times of need and find that it never leaves. _And nothing is able to change that _."___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________The harpooner's words struck deeply within Conseil, and he felt something buried inside his chest quiver momentarily. His mind was consumed with memories of the Professor, absorbed in his nautical studies while he looked on warmly, and even memories of the harpooner himself, so full of joy and courage, expelling every bad feeling Conseil had ever had during their adventures together. It was no secret that they had strengthened each other during their time on the Nautilus, and that their companionship had helped them both through Nemo's seemingly authoritarian rule. Camaraderie was certainly one way to describe it, but Conseil felt as if the Canadian had struck something much deeper than camaraderie with his story. A new-found emotion pulsed in his throat and no matter how he tried he could not put a name to it. The marine apprentice smiled softly to himself and for a small second the flickering of the electric lights didn't bother him anymore._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Though, his rapture was rather short lived as Conseil was very suddenly brought back to the present by the distinct feeling of a larger than average hand slapping him full force on the small of his back and the charming smile that alighted his interlocutor's face shortly afterwards. "Now then," Land jested, his hand still gripping Conseil's back. "Do you feel better now?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Conseil blinked. Once, twice, and then a third time. "I... I _do _," He replied, in a rather uncertain tone.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Laughing a hearty laugh, Ned stood up, pulling Conseil with him. "Now, that's what I like to hear! Say, what say we play a game of cards to take your mind off, well, everything?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________With his shoulders touching his ears, the marine apprentice nodded and smiled politely, hoping not to be crushed by his companion's enthusiasm. He was forcefully patted once again on the back as Land raced over to the metal table next to their bunks. Conseil gingerly placed his right hand onto his chest and blinked once more. The Canadian was right—his melancholia had completely subsided. A warmth that flared intermittently now bloomed in his chest. He muttered incredulously underneath his breath. " _Home...? _"___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________"You say something?" Land replied, looking up from the deck he was shuffling._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________"N-No, no! Simply... _Thinking aloud... _"___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Noticing that his bunkmate's eyes were still on him, the marine apprentice smiled bashfully. "... Thank you, friend Ned."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________The Canadian returned the gesture, and Conseil noted the way his eyes crinkled ever so slightly when he smiled. "Nothing to it."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Conseil was fond of many things. Ned Land was one of them._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


End file.
